Packing the “Ten Essentials” whenever you step into the backcountry, even on day hikes or rides, is a good habit. On a basic trip you may use only a few of them or none at all. It’s when something goes awry that you’ll truly appreciate the value of carrying these items that could be essential to your survival.

"It's better to be looking at something than looking for something"

The original Ten Essentials list was assembled in the 1930s by The Mountaineers, a Seattle-based organization for climbers and outdoor adventurers, to help people be prepared for emergency situations in the outdoors.

Here is my Ten Essentials for a Shop Ride. By definition, a Shop Ride at 718 is a ride that happens during the day, and requires no overnight shelter. Being in the NYC Metro Area means we are never really that far away from civilization, however we don’t let this implied convenience lull us into a sense of not needing to be prepared.

1 NAVIGATION – Map, compass, and GPS system: For our Shop Rides, I will have my Garmin InReach (Satellite Communication Device), Garmin 1000, a Map and Cue Sheets. The routes on our Shop Rides are pretty defined and really not our in the wilderness, however in pays to be prepared. Not pictured but always with me is a recharging battery. I stress that you cant rely on digital navigation devices alone. One must study the route, and have waterproofed paper copies of map and cue sheets.

2 SUN PROTECTION – Sunglasses, sunscreen, and hat: My glasses turn into sunglasses, which is cool. I also always have some sun screen and a cap (thermal or 718 Shop Cap) under my helmet. In addition, I usually will bring a thermal hat for time that we are off the bike so as not to loose a lot of body heat.

4 ILLUMINATION – Flashlight, lanterns, and headlamp: Our Shop Rides usually aren’t at night. I always stress knowing when the sun is scheduled to go down so that we know precisely how much daylight we have. Pictured for on-bike illumination are a set of Kryptonyte lights and a Safety Pizza. If this were an overnight trip, I would include my wearable headlamp.

5 FIRST-AID SUPPLIES – First Aid Kit: We will probably do an entire other post on the subject of First Aid kits. Needless to say, these are a critical part of ride safety.

6 FIRE – Matches, lighter and fire starters: Although we don’t have any scheduled fires set for most of our Shop Rides, these 2 items (flint fire started and water proof matched) are very light, and I’d “rather be looking at them then looking for them”.

7 REPAIR KIT AND TOOLS – Another item that probably deserves its own post. We plan repair kits by thinking about bike systems (tires chains, etc) that would need attention, and also trying to envision issues the group at large might have. This means we’ll bring a few extra tubes and cables, etc.

8 NUTRITION - Food: We generally have scheduled stops for food during our Shop Rides, so that $20 pictured in my Tool Kit comes in handy. I usually include additional nutritional sources just in case.

9 HYDRATION – Water and water treatment supplies: Since we are staying pretty close to civilization, I wouldn’t be including a water purification system. For me, I’ll start the ride with three 22 ounce bottles, drink constantly, and fill up at ANY chance I get along the way. I also generally bring some sort of electrolyte tabs in case I need a boost. Another good idea here i a hydration pack.

10 EMERGENCY SHELTER – Tent, space blanket, tarp, and bivy: Again…we are never more than a few thousand yards from civilization on our Shop Rides, but I include a Rescue Blanket in case we have a situation where someone is off the bike and injured, and their temperature needs to be stabilized.

Summary

I just made this up…here is a little sentence to remember the Ten Essentials